Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Jaco Beach

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaco Beach: $1,447 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Jaco Beach
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Jaco Beach Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Jaco Beach

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,447

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Jaco Beach

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Jaco Beach actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,447 in Jaco Beach.

Austin, TX $2,698
Jaco Beach $1,447

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,313 in Jaco Beach.

Austin, TX $4,160
Jaco Beach $2,313

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,180 in Jaco Beach.

Austin, TX $5,622
Jaco Beach $3,180

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 86% more expensive than in Jaco Beach, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Jaco Beach 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$11.77 ₡5,278

75.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$43.49 ₡19.5K

94.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.05 ₡4,505

20.10%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$3.94 ₡1,768

39.09%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.38 ₡1,065

59.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.86 ₡833

32.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.29 ₡1,475

144.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.33 ₡1,943

105.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.90 ₡853

-41.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.22 ₡997

67.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.43 ₡1,092

38.68%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.61 ₡1,171

65.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.62 ₡4,764

23.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$9.19 ₡4,123

53.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$11.90 ₡5,338

37.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.08 ₡2,278

-10.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.66 ₡742

-12.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.53 ₡2,033

3.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.54 ₡1,590

17.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.56 ₡701

65.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.42 ₡637

65.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.01 ₡454

75.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.99 ₡894

7.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$5.79 ₡2,598

74.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.20 ₡6,366

6.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.65 ₡1,188

6.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.26 ₡1,012

52.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.42 ₡1,087

15.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.55 ₡696

3.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$8.91 ₡3,994

285.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.55 ₡696

-39.35%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.0K $34.0K

$34.1K ₡15.3M

-0.46%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$41.6K ₡18.7M

-35.70%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$223 $223

$80.2 ₡36.0K

177.51%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.9 $58.9

$24.70 ₡11.1K

138.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$46.61 ₡20.9K

51.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$53.3 ₡23.9K

8.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$7.57 ₡3,395

88.38%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,511 $1,511

$492 ₡220.8K

206.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$7,283 ₡3.3M

186.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$24.70 ₡11.1K

107.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$57.2 ₡25.6K

-22.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$131 ₡58.8K

-33.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$133 ₡59.5K

-21.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$766 ₡343.4K

153.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$520 ₡233.2K

153.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,987 ₡891.0K

84.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,113 ₡499.1K

130.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$399 ₡178.8K

1226.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.62

-21.23%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Jaco Beach: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Jaco Beach

$520 35.9% 60.5% $796

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Jaco Beach

$328 22.7% 19.2% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Jaco Beach

$152 10.5% 57% $201

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Jaco Beach

$214 14.8% 39% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Jaco Beach

$156 10.8% 20.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Jaco Beach

$68 4.7% 20.7% $18

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Jaco Beach

$10 * 0.7% 82.4% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $766 in Jaco Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1226% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $43.00 in Jaco Beach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $328 per month, with Jaco Beach cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇷 Jaco Beach

🕒 Local time

16:07 4:07 PM

15:07 3:07 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Jaco Beach 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Jaco Beach

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Jaco Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jaco Beach wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jaco Beach the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1226% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $766 in Jaco Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $492 in Jaco Beach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jaco Beach – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,447 in Jaco Beach versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jaco Beach but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Jaco Beach the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jaco Beach delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,447 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jaco Beach hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Jaco Beach are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Jaco Beach gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.